Outboard propeller mechanism



1366- 1951 A. w. WANZER OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 3, 1949 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/J Dec. 18, 1951 Y w, WANZER 2,579,221

OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 3, 1949 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 Patented Dec. 18, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,579,221 7' V OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM Arthur W. Wanzer, Quincy, Mass., a'ssignor' to Murray & Tregurtha, IIlQyQlliIlCY, Mass a: corporation of Massachusetts 7 Application January 3, 1949, Serial 68,817

This invention relates to outboard propeller mechanism for boats, barges and the like of the type in which the propeller is mounted on a horizontal propeller shaft that is carried at the 1 lower end of a vertically disposed propeller-sup-' February 13, 1943, now U. S. Patent No. 2,458,813,

and Serial No.'564,21 3, filed November 20, 1944,

now US. Patent No; 2,499,339.

' In the devices shown in said patent and applications the propeller-supporting member is given its turning movement forsteering the boat by means'of a worm gear which is rigidly mounted thereon at its upper end and which meshes with and is driven by a worm that is operatively connected to the steering wheel, so that by manipulation of this steering wheel the propeller-supporting member can be turned to steer the boat. If in the operation of the propeller mechanism the propeller strikes an obstruction which holds it against turning movement, the torque transmitted from the power unit through the vertical driving shaft will apply a turning moment to the propeller-supporting member which is resisted by the intermeshing worm gear and worm. ihe strain to which said worm gear and worm are thus subjected may be sufiicient to strip the teeth of the gears and thus put the steering mechanism out of commission. 1 It is'an'object of] the present invention to provide an outboard propeller mechanismrwhich is constructed so as to prevent any strippingof or damage to the gears whenever the propeller is held from turning movement by striking an obstruction. I

' Another object of the invention is to provide an outboard propeller mechanism in which whenever the propeller does strike an obstruction which holds it from turning, the torque transmitted from the power unit to the vertical drive shaft will expend itself in turning the propellersupporting member about its vertical axis, there-- by freeing the propeller from the obstruction.

Such turning movement of the propeller-sup- 1 Claim. (Cl.-115--18) porting member as may be occasioned by the I -prope11er striking an obstruction will, of course,

. 2 v another object' of the invention is to provide means for indicating to the helmsman whenever, and the extent to which, the propeller-supporting member has been turned by such obstruction, so that the helmsman may, by manipulating the steering wheel, bring the propeller-supporting member back to the proper position for maintaining the boat on its prescribed course.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a boat, barge, or other vessel having my improved'propeller mechanism mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical section through the lower portion of the gear housing and the upper portion of the propeller-supporting hous- Fig. 3 is Fig; 4 is adetail of the transmissiongearing in the gear housing;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 Fig. 1, showing in dotted lines the position the propellersuppor'ting housingma'y assume when the propeller strikes an obstacle; "i

Fig. Bis a detail of the steering mechanism. f In the drawings Ti indicates a boat, barge, "or other sea-goingvesselfwhich is equipped with my improve'd'j propeller mechanism, the latter being of. that ty'pe'which includes a power generator 2, preferably an internal combustion engine, which is mounted on a suitable base '3 that in turn ismounted on the deck of the barge, and which has a power shaft 4 that is geared to an outboard. vertically extending drive shaft 5 by which the pro pe'ller Bis driven.

The propeller is carried by a propeller shaft 1 which is journaled in the propeller-supporting housing 8 and is connected to the drive shaft, 5 through bevel. gears 46-. The drive shaft 5 is located within the housing 8 and the latter is mounted for turning movement about a vertical I axis for steering the vessel,

The transmission gearing connecting the vertical drive shaft-=5 and the power shaft 4 is a bevel gear transmission, such as shown in Fig. 4, which includes a bevel gear 9 on the end of-the power shaft, another bevel gear ID on the upper end of the drive :shaft '5, and connecting bevel gears H operating on a horizontal axis; This bevel geartransmission is housed in a gear housing I2 which is supported by the base 3. p

As stated above, the propeller-supporting housing '8 is ,,mounted forturning movement about a vertical zaxis-iandfor thispurposegthe j upper end] 3 of the propeller-supporting housing a section on a'reduced scale on the jbolts or screws 29.

8 extends into a depending portion ll of the gear housing I2, said upper end [3 of the propeller-supporting housing being mounted in suitable roller bearings l5.

The steering mechanism for turning the propeller-supporting housing 8 in order to steer the boat, is similar to that shown in the above mentioned patent and applications; and'it comprises a worm gear; secured to the upper. end of the propeller-supporting housing 8 and which meshes with and is operated by a worm I! carried on a transverse shaft [8 journaled in the gear housing l2. The shaft [8 has a sprocket 19 thereon that is connected by a sprocket chain 20 with a sprocket 2| on a short shaft 22, that is, coaxial with the bevel gears II and which carries a bevel gear 23 that meshes with a companion bevel gear 24 on a longitudinally extending shaft 25. The shaft 25 is connected by a sprocket chain26 with the shaft 41 carrying the steering wheel 48 so that turning movement of the steering wheel -pperates through the mechanism above described tg turn the worm gear 16 and thus turn the pro- .,-pe erT- ing housing T-he parts thus far described may be similar to corresponding parts illustrated inthe above men- ..i tioned patent and applications.

If during the operation of the propeller mechanism the propeller 6 strikes an obstacle which prevents its further rotationfthe torque transmitted through the drive shaft will apply "enough the gears 46 a strong turning moment tothe propeller-supporting housing 8 tending to turn it about its vertical axis, which turning moment is resisted by the intermeshing worm l1 and worm gear l6.

Under some circumstances this turning moinent may be of such force that the strain to which the worm l1 and worm gear l6 are subof 'a non-positive driving 'jconnection which is constructed so that normally it transmitssufiicient torque. from the worm gear 1-6 to the propellersupporting housing 8 toiprovidefor steering the boat; but which will yield and allow the propellersupporting housing to be turned about its vertical 'axisfby the torque transmittedthereto through the vertical drive shaft whenever the Propeller strikesan'obstruction that stops it from rotation. The worm gear 16 is in"theform-of a ring gear that rests ona seat 2T'formed on a head element 28 that is secured to the upper end of the propeller-supporting housing '8' by meansof The worm gear [6 is frictionally clamped to the seat 21 by means of a clamping plate 38 a which is clamped to the head 28 by means of clamping screws 3|. The-upper face 32 of the worm gear I6 is shown as beveled and the clamping plate 30 has a corresponding beveled face 33 which'engages the face 32 of the ring gear.

- By this means the ringworm gear I6 is frictionally clamped to the head 28, which in turn is rigidly secured to the upper end of the propellersupporting housing 8. 'The frictional clamping pressure thus obtained is suflicient to transmit from the worm gear I8-to the propeller-supporting-housing sufficient torque for turning said housing for the purpose of steering the boat.

If, however,' 'the propeller strikes an obstacle and isheld thereby from turning; the torque to 4 which the propeller-supporting housing 8 is subjected by the power delivered through the drive shaft 5 will be sufficient to overcome the frictional clamping pressure of the clamping member 30 against the worm gear I6 and said propellersupporting housing 8 will thus be turned about its vertical axis relative to the worm gear IS. The clampingpressure of the clamping member 30 J against the worm gear will be so adjusted as to allow the turning movement of the propellersupporting housing relative to the worm gear before the worm gear and worm are subjected to sufficient strain to damage them.

This operation of the propeller-supporting housing being turned about its vertical axis when the propeller strikes an obstruction, is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the full lines indicate the nor- 'mal positionof the propeller-supporting housing and the propeller 6, and the dotted lines indicate the position into which the propeller-supporting housing and propeller might be turned as described above when the propeller strikes an obstruction.

If the propellersupporting housing and proj'peller is thus turned out of itsnormal position,

as shown in dotted lines Fig. 5, the propeller will be in a position to turn the boat or vessel off from its prescribed course and under these'circumstances itis necessary for the helmsman to manipulate the steering wheel 48 so as to restore the propeller-supporting housing and propeller to its proper position to maintain the boat on its course. i My improvements also include means to indicate to the helmsman whenever the propellersupporting housing and the propeller have been thrown out of correct position by the propeller striking an obstacle, ,and also to indicate to the helmsman when thepropeller-supporting housing has been restored to its correct position.

For this purpose the head 28 is'provided on its periphery with a ring gear 34 the teeth of Which mesh with a pinion 35 on a vertical shaft 36 carried by the gear 'housing 12. The shaft 35 is geared to a horizontal forwardly extending shaft 37 by meansof suitable gearing, such as a spiral gearing 38,'and the shaft 31 extends to and operatesa suitable indicator 39 which is positioned where the helmsman can see it.

With this construction any turning movement of the propeller-supporting housing 8 about its vertical axis will be indicated on the indicator 39. If it be assumedlthat when the propeller-supporting housing 8 is positioned so that the propeller shaft f1 extends directly fore and aft, the

pointed 40 of the indicator 39 will be centrally positionedQas shown in full lines Fig. 3, then if and when the propeller-supporting housing 8 is .turned about its verticalaxis relative to the worm rthe fact that the propeller-supporting housing chas been turned about its-vertical axis and the position of the pointer 40 will indicate the extent to which it has thus'been turned. The helmsman will then manipulate the steering wheel 48 so as to restore the propeller-supporting housing to its correct position, and the resultant movement of the pointer) will indicate to the helmsman when said propeller-supporting housing has been properly positioned for maintaining the boat on its prescribed course.

I claim:

An outboard propeller mechanism comprising a main supporting element, a propeller-supporting member depending therefrom, a propeller shaft carried by said propeller-supporting member, a propeller mounted on said propeller shaft, a power shaft, a vertically extending drive shaft operatively connecting said power shaft and propeller shaft, said propeller-supporting member being turnable about a vertical axis relative to the main supporting member for steering the boat, steering mechanism for turning said propellersupporting member including a worm gear mounted theeron coaxially' therewith, a worm meshing with the worm gear and a friction drive connection between the worm gear and the propeller-supporting member which provides sufficient torque to turn the propeller-supporting member for steering the boat when the steering mechanism is operated but which slips and thus allows the propeller-supporting member to be turned about its axis relative to the worm gear and without disturbing the steering mechanism when the propeller is prevented from turning by striking an obstacle, and means separate from the steering mechanism to indicate the extent of any relative turning movement between the worm gear and said propeller-supporting member.

ARTHUR W. WANZER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 761,974 Levedahl June 7, 1904 1,387,909 Roemer Aug. 16, 1921 2,335,597 Mathewson Nov. 30, 1943 2,372,247 Billing Mar. 27, 1945 

